Original Replicas
by Josiyx
Summary: When Roxas wanders off to find himself and his brother goes on a quest to find him, Hayner's left being the substitute. But still, there's only one of him, and someone's going to have to realize it. KairixHaynerxNamine, minor AkuRoku SoRiku, AU HIATUS
1. Missing

**Disclaimer: **If I owned KH, Roxas would eventually be in complete control of Sora's body, and the Organization would win. And all the Disney characters would be dead. Or under mass mind control. That's always fun.

**Author's Notes: **Technically I should be working on Acting on Impulse. But I was halfway through the second chaper typing when **kena-san** brought up a triangle to me because I asked the wrong question. So I had to make it work. It's a different style of writing for m though, so I'm not entirely sure it worked out. Read and find out?

--

Hayner could easily claim that his world started to change with a few simple words from a guy he barely knew.

_"Roxas never showed up earlier."_

It hadn't crashed or been turned upside down. The blond might have been one of his friends, but not his closest, and he could remember a time before him. Other people had greater reactions. Still, that had helped it to start spinning the other way. Slowly at first, but it wasn't going the same way anymore. Nothing was without Roxas.

_"He's not here in Twilight Town, or we'd have found him by now."_

They'd all tried to find him somewhere everyday. Pence and Olette alternated between the station and the beach. Sora was normally waiting at home for news, while Riku and Kairi went where he called to suggest.

And Axel? He just never stopped looking. Everywhere, he seemed to show up. Anywhere people thought of, the redhead had already been, out all day looking around the area, asking everyone for information. He had quit work even, becoming thinner for always moving and never eating. There were dark circles under his eyes and his vibrant eyes were becoming maniacal with every hour. Olette had questioned whether he'd even slept since Roxas's disappearance or if he kept running on pure adrenaline.

Her answer came when a group of his Organization friends carried him into Sora's place and tied him to the bed. Rubbing at his eyes, Demyx explained that they'd had to sneak sleeping pills into a bottle of water to do it, before he killed himself.

Hayner himself had given up on finding the blue eyed teen inside the town by the sixteenth day. Maybe he was just a pessimist by nature, but there didn't seem to be for him to do that would help. It was pretty much hopeless by then, he reasoned, though he gave up trying to convince anyone else of the same. When he had, a pair of sobbing girls had fled, and they'd barely known his friend. Once his friend's brown haired twin heard that it was unlikely they'd find him themselves, he'd just stared blankly ahead. Saying anything more would only break him.

Twenty days after Roxas was gone, they'd had to sedate Sora for the first time. Going for groceries, he'd nearly been hit by a car chasing someone with blond hair.

On the next day, Hayner had chosen to head towards the old mansion. There hadn't been a real reason for choosing that direction. It wasn't as though no one lived there. Friends of Axel and Rox- those weird Organization people- had owned it for years. Nowhere there made a good hiding spot, or the area nearby. Marluxia combed the woods a few times a day for his friend. They'd always been close, and now when he was needed, the pink haired gardener was doing what he could to return the favour.

Walking between the old trees, Hayner tried to convince himself he was searching for his friend, and not running away from memories of him. And, for a moment, he believed it.

Then a moving figure heading through the area towards town caught his eye and made him remember painfully. Running after the person, he shouted, hoping to get their attention. "Roxas!"

Grabbing an arm and tugging them around, his growing smile vanished. Of course he'd been wrong, crazy enough to get his hopes up. Maybe practicing what he preached would be a good idea? Staring into the girl's watery blue eyes, Hayner groaned, contemplating throwing himself on the train tracks. "You're not Roxas."

It was easy to see now he was close to her. The long locks framing her face were too fair, the skin too pale. She was shorter and nearly as skinny as the pyro had become. Still, at his observation, the powder blue lit up with her small smile. Rotating her captured arm so that her hand was on his wrist, she beamed up at him. "You know Roxas? He came to visit me two weeks ago. It was strange, so I came to check up on him. Is he… okay?"

The dumbstruck look on his face was probably laughable, seeing how calm and quiet her voice was. Once she'd realized he was unlikely to answer, she took a hesitant step backwards, letting go of him. Light bag bouncing off her shoulder, the blonde put her free hand to her chest. "I am Naminé."

Watching her distrustfully and dropping her arm to copy the gesture, the boy nodded to her casually. "Hayner," he answered slowly, thinking through how to explain what had happened, "I think you should probably come with me, if you've seen Roxas."

_"You are going to sleep in that damn bed and then you will eat, or so help me, I will **make **you do it."_

Larxene's fury filled up the room. Her anger towards the redhead was understandable. Upon finding out that Roxas had been in another city on some quest to 'find himself', it had taken Lexeaus nearly five minutes to carry him back to the bed he'd slept it for weeks. Axel had bolted twice during the story, Naminé staring as the four Organization members that were present pinned him down and handed him a bowl of soup.

Even then, they were struggling to convince him to at least sleep before going off on a search for Roxas. Hayner couldn't understand why he was losing it so much when the boy's own flesh and blood was just sitting there, leaning into his best friends and hanging on to the visitor's every word.

They'd all started to discuss where he could have gone, plotting out places to stop and tossing in money for the trip. Axel could go now, it was agreed, before he actually killed himself trying. An actual plan was being created, everyone getting tossed out some sort of task. But still, Hayner couldn't begin to understand how he'd got saddled with the most mundane job.

_"Babysitting?"_

Later, Sora would claim to have witnessed that when Naminé's hand caught the blond in the head, it had slipped. Upwards.

--

And that's the end of this chapter. The next one will mostly be Naminé and Hayner, but that'll get the actual plot going. Leave a review or something, okay?

-Josiy x


	2. Waiting

Hayner could easily claim that his world started to change with a few simple words from a guy he barely knew

When Roxas wanders off to find himself and his brother goes on a quest to find him, Hayner's left being the substitute. But still, there's only one of him, and someone's going to have to realize it. KairixHaynerxNaminé, minor AkuRoku SoRiku, AU

**Author's Notes: **Nearly a year late, I know, but I got a review that reminded me of this story, so I went and found the notebook it was in. And managed not to fall headfirst into a box. Good day all round?

--

Sprawled out on his couch at home and lazily throwing darts, Hayner watched Naminé sketch. She'd only shown up two days prior, saying something about having seen Roxas on his way to 'find himself'. Not being in charge of finding his friend, nor even having meant to, he'd taken her to the people who desperately needed the news.

By some, long twisted logic- that of him having extra space and time to attend to a guest- she'd ended up sleeping in his spare room. Technically, he needed a roommate to cover what rent his parents' checks did not and she'd had to stay somewhere, having insisted on joining them in the wait for the boy's return. Half of them had moved in to different homes to save money and free time to hunt for the blonde. A domino effect none of them had foreseen.

It had started when Axel had taken over Roxas's bedroom whenever he was not on patrol of the town, a strictly enforced rule since his first few times passing out in the street. Having visited, he'd heard the whispered conversations, of how it was only in the eerily white room that the man could have a respite from his normal need to hunt out desperately for a clue.

"_Shame the rest of us don't get to know what he did to scare the little guy so much, isn't it?"_

Sora still slept in the room across the hall, trying not to disturb the redhead when he went inside searching for proof his brother had existed. The apartment was becoming a shrine to the boy and its keepers had fallen into a dark hole. When Riku moved in with them no one felt right by pointing out that the apartment had only two bedrooms and no couch.

So now, rather than being out looking for someone who obviously wasn't there or sitting around waiting for a call from a phone that had already been found with a dead battery, he was stuck with the fair, quiet girl whether he was content with that or not. Sitting there, his hopes were half on Pence or Olette showing up to entertain him, knowing they wouldn't. Whatever bad things had happened in recent times, they had stuck together, which seemed to be enough. On the downside, Hayner himself had someone he barely knew and a Struggle bat. Somehow, going on a violent rampage with a foam covered weapon wasn't all that appealing. The other would just have to suffice. "What're you drawing?"

Never looking up, preoccupied by finding the perfect blue, she answered with a tiny smirk. "A picture."

That was the first time he encountered her special brand of sarcasm, but it hardly seemed to be the last.

After that first shutdown, Hayner gave up on starting conversations, instead getting used to the silence, or attempting to. The boy was talkative by nature, and after an hour of humming, whistling and muttering to himself, the blond finally caved in. "Okay, so what's in the stupid picture?"

A ghost of a grin flitted across her face as she turned the sketchbook for him to see. A playground, primary colours as they always seemed to be, a small boy hanging off the swing with a grin. That was plain to see. Though, once he looked closer, the simple doodle took on a more distinct image. Familiar blue eyes looked back, still lit up like they occasionally did in real life. The younger Roxas that belonged solely to Naminé.

_Somehow, Hayner doubted a real friend's stomach would clench in anger at that grin._

It was all she ever drew, pages and pages of Roxas. Somehow, while 'waiting' like the rest of them, she'd taken over Axel's old job, using the time he'd slacked off in to draw. Serving ice cream seemed to suit her even more than the vibrant redhead, though he no longer looked like the man who'd worked there before. Axel had left a week after she'd arrived, and the pale blonde sent him with an entire book of pictures.

Obviously she was in love or something, he'd decided, rolling his dark eyes as she grabbed a thicker pencil. When he came back, Roxas would break her heart. It wouldn't be the first time a girl was rejected by the boy. It seemed wrong to leave her to that fate when he could warn her, at least a bit. "He never mentioned you to anyone."

"No," she said simply, hand drawing strokes that even Hayner recognized, "he didn't."

"Never shut up about Axel though," he pointed out coldly. Damaging her self esteem was too effortless, the tanned teen thought, watching her hand stop for a moment and glancing at her face. Not expecting the calculating look in her eyes, he raised an eyebrow as a thin smile spread across her lips along with her response.

"Yes well," Naminé reached for a red pencil, "that's because they're _best friends_."

Watching as she coloured the hair on a figure holding the focus of yet another picture- Roxas in a tight embrace- Hayner tried to understand. Obviously her phrasing was something less than purely accidental, especially with the smile that accompanied it. Generally her expression went from calm to shocked and maybe upset. For some reason, her happy beams were reserved for her art and him, though the latter were more patronizing.

A month now had passed since his world had started going the wrong way. What had been a waning moon had started waxing, become full and waned again. Too long for their lives to pause, though his was always rather still. Classes were hardly enough to worry about, a part time job doing manual labour filling the other gaps between lounging on his couch with the girl who was a stranger at the end, scribbling away. After over a week though, she was less of an enigma.

Things he knew about Naminé: she knew Roxas from childhood, but reunited with him through the Organization, meaning she knew some of his other friends, with a few exceptions. She was slender, but could be incredibly possessive over food. Art was her passion, which was good, because she sucked at darts, Struggle and skateboarding. Shy as she was, she had a wicked dry humour that usually came into play when she was hiding something trivial.

There was too, the list of thing he didn't know about Naminé, still longer and seemingly growing as the days continued. Where she was from, her last name, what she had to do with the Organization in the first place, her age, if she drank, what kind of family she had, if she was good at any form of sport, if she knew how to draw anything not involving Roxas, if she stole ice cream from work or just his. So many things that seemed minor but piled up.

So he was sprawled on a couch with a not so unknown acquaintance, flicking darts and trying to think of a way to ask for ideas for dinner without like he needed her opinion when the doorbell rang. It wouldn't normally be a major occurrence, but the past month had changed his reaction to every unexpected noise, as Hayner sat there dumbfounded. Only the slight nudge to his foot brought him back, a concerned girl hovering over him.

"Answer it?" Her request came out as a nervous whisper, the idea of an unexpected guest being just as surprising. Nodding and raising numbly to his feet, the boy began an internal monologue as he turned and walked to the door.

Don'tgetyourhopesup.Don'tgetyourhopesup.Don'tgetyourhopesup.

Pulling it open, Hayner glanced to the bright blue eyes looking back, and then shook his head at the auburn hair and female figure. No, definitely not who would have expected or wanted it to be. If he could figure out who she was.

"_Hi, I'm Kairi! ...Sora's friend?"_

Don'tslamthedoorinherface.Don'tslamthedoorinherface.Don'tslamthedoorinherface.

Seriously, this was pushing the girl magnet idea too far, especially when for once in his life, he didn't want to be one.


	3. Seeing

**Author's Notes: **The latest chapter of the story! Hooray! …At least, that's the response I'd expect if more than one person was reading this. Though I'm good with one. It's more than I ever figured would be reading, and it's purely for my amusement anyhow. Enjoy anyhow. Love!

--

"_You're on Roxas's team right? He never said you were so cute!"_

The girl had started off too bubbly and self-assured from day one, years before their current encounter. Best friend to Sora and Riku, one of whom she'd probably marry and live happily ever after with, once she chose to settle down. Something like that at least, with her best friends as guys. Olette was like that, practically clinging to them all in case they abandoned her. She eventually had chosen who to be with but Hayner had expected something similar to happen, in typical cliché fashion.

He'd also assumed the auburn haired girl on his doorstep- or at least the carpet in front of the apartment- was the same for years. An exuberant and confident teen with her destiny already set out for her. Friends with everyone and annoying were all he summed Kairi up as. That had all been 'with Roxas', before he'd disappeared. When those around the lost boy were content just as friends, pre-Sora-and-Riku. A time that despite how close it was seemed forever ago.

Now the girl had shadows under her eyes, hardly ever around the house she'd usually hung around that now seemed a homage to Roxas. At the few parties he'd attended recently, she'd only shown up for a short time, just like many of the others. Another lonely person trying to find someone who wasn't affected yet still got what they all were going through.

"_Do you mind me hanging out here for a bit?"_

They had a lot in common really, Hayner considered, moving away from the door to let her in. Two people who barely knew each other and had nothing better to do but hang out together. Sounded like a brilliant plan to him, if the person involved was that good looking. Maybe she looked tired, but the shorts she was wearing prevented much attention to be paid to her face.

Past experience warned him that paying too much attention to Kairi's lower half got certain overprotective friends irritated with him, retribution taken any way possible. Now though, her bodyguards were distraught enough not to pay attention, he'd take advantage of that. Or not. That turned him into the worst kind of opportunist. Monopolizing on problems that shouldn't have existed in the first place. Mind they'd burdened him just as much.

Following the petite figure into the kitchen, he remembered a certain trouble that was the fault of the current situation. Watching the two girls look at each other in surprise, he realized neither knew the other existed, let alone would be in the room. "Naminé, this is Kairi. She's Sora's friend. Kairi, this is Naminé who…" pausing, he tried to think of a polite way to bring up her relation to their entire little crisis.

Thankfully, he never had to. "-Is eating the last pudding, okay?" Her docile voice still managed to cut across his deliberations, a stiff smile on her face as she turned to nod to the other female. "I've known Roxas a long time; I'm shocked we haven't met."

From the expression painted in the newcomer's eyes, she was more surprised by Naminé's existence in his house, eyebrows rising drastically. Or possibly she was just confused by the blonde. Well, Hayner decided, leaning on the counter with a bemused grin as the girls went through the standard pleasantries, that made two of them for that too.

_Blowing a kiss and laughing as she skipped off, the flirtatious girl had left him to his own devices._

Opening the door to Twilight Creamery, Hayner shot a wry glance at the server and the buckets of soft serve in front of her, feigning shock. A new thing to strike off the list of things he didn't know about the girl: she _did_ only steal his ice cream.

Catching his gaze darting between herself and the sweets, the blonde behind the counter rolled her eyes. "I can't have all of it, I'd never be able to get into the uniform," she tossed out casually, putting aside a sketchbook, "and really, that would be a shame, wouldn't it?"

The outfit in question was a cascade of lace and ruffles, the short skirt extending past the knee in fabric that looked like it could be made of candy. Thinking momentarily of the redheaded former employee wearing something similar made him smirk. "Sure," was the closest to an answer he could get, as another mental image sprung up vividly.

_Short cropped auburn locks, framing a dress with a plunging neckline and diminutive pink skirt. The bodice laced up with the same adorable ribbons, only stopping at a much more suggestive angle; the innocent smile a seductive pout._

"…never actually listen and just stare like she's a piece of meat?" Watching his baffled eyes dart around for an answer, Naminé shook her head and sighed, holding out a strawberry cone covered in all manner of toppings. "Don't worry about it. You wouldn't understand anyways."

Taking the affront to his intelligence, the boy opened his mouth in protest before pausing to reconsider. "Okay, if this is one of those 'girl things' that Olette always pulls, then I don't want to get it. Otherwise, you're cut off from waffles until Tuesday."

"You can't do that!" Panicking, the normally quiet girl exclaimed, a delicate hand covering her lips. Despite the immediate reversion to her calm disposition, blue eyes continued to glare upwards, only softening as a hand ruffled her hair. The affectionate gesture was entirely spontaneous but still had the desired effect, thin shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine, maybe you can. It was sort of a girl thing though."

That did work for him though, snatching away the desert and holding out the cash for it. Instead of reaching for it, the frill clad girl stepped away, bangs effectively covering her face. Funny how some people had a knack for abusing that skill. "It's on the house."

Typical, he decided, the bell chiming out his departure as his feet hit pavement again. For every question answered about his recent roommate a dozen more came up. How she instinctively knew what he was thinking. Her ability to dress like any other girl and still radiate Naminéness. Her ability to eat sweets and never gain weight, when the only other waif like figure he knew dieted and munched on salad, if anything. And most curious, her extraordinary knowledge of his love of strawberry ice cream when even Pence, his best friend since who knew how long, still thought it was chocolate. Mind, that could have just been from raiding his freezer.

The most urgent question though, was the least simplistic. For a few minutes, he'd laughed as easily as he normally could have. Run of the mill cheer at a point where constant worry was making even apathy difficult. An extraordinary talent she possessed, pulling out that emotion when no one else could. And damned if he didn't figure out just why it worked soon.

* * *

Well, that was an amazing chapter of nothingness. Expect a bit more KairixHaynerness in the next chapter. And a few more mentions of Axel- because he's not dead!.

-Josiy x


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